The Awakening
by Hannbells
Summary: "Darkness brings the storm of embers." "The raven must capture the wild flower before the forest burns red." AU based on Erin Hunter's Warriors saga.
1. Characters & Prologue

**A/N** **: Hello! This is my first ever story on FanFiction so yay! Big shout out to purastella for introducing me to it and encouraging me to try it. Honestly, she is the best.**

 **This is an AU of Erin Hunter's series Warriors. The plot and cats are mine, but the basis for the story is set up like the book series. If there are any cats in the following lists that have the same name as those in the book series, that was unintentional. Think of this as either completely different clans (maybe Starclan and Skyclan are pals lol) or the clans decided to move again to another lake territory and changed their clan names (and it's been so long that all of the book cats are long gone- even Starclan has changed names because it has been so long). **

**Either way, I hope you enjoy the plot. I have had this plot in my head for a few years now and am excited to finally share it!**

 **Following is the list of cats for the characters (just like in the books) and the prologue. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Fireclan**

(live in plains)

 **Leader:**

Blackstar – white tom with black splotches and green eyes

 **Deputy:**

Wildflower – white she-cat with pale brown and gray flecks; blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat:**

Drywhisker – long-haired dusty brown tom with yellow eyes

Leafsong – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

 **Warriors:**

Harepelt – light gray tom with white underbelly and amber eyes

Mousetail – brown she-cat with an unusual long tail and yellow eyes

Ravenfoot – black she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Shadowbreeze – black she-cat with a white tail-tip and green eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** _Squirrelpaw_

Blackstripe – gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxclaw – large dark ginger tom with yellow eyes and unusual long claws

Apprentice **:** Whitepaw

Emberheart – white she-cat with black stripes and amber eyes

Twisterhowl – silver tabby tom with white chest/paws and green eyes

Duststorm – dusty brown tom with amber eyes

Owlsight – brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Cloudstep – light brown she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Kestrelflight – mottled brown she-cat with green eyes

Liontooth – pale ginger tom with yellow eyes and unusual long fangs

 _Apprentice_ **:** Goldenpaw

Bramblemask – brown tabby tom with green eyes

Frostpoppy - black she-cat with white paws and ice blue eyes

 ** _Apprentice_ :** Snakepaw

 **Apprentices:**

Squirrelpaw – ginger she-cat with green eyes

Whitepaw – white she-cat with pale gray splotches and pale green eyes

Goldenpaw – mottled tom with amber eyes

Snakepaw – brown and ginger tom with green eyes

 **Queens:**

Snowleaf – white and brown she-cat with green eyes

 _Kits_ **:** Birchkit (white tom), Hollykit (black she-cat)

Speckledwing – brown & white she-cat with ginger flecks; amber eyes

 _Kits_ **:** Fernkit (mottled she-cat), Rainkit (gray tom), Redkit (ginger tom)

Echowhisper – small black she-cat with blue eyes

 _*Kits_ **:** _Lostkit (small white and black tom), Rosekit (ginger she-cat)_

 **Elders:**

Hollowbranch – dark brown tom with amber eyes

Patchtail – small mottled tom with half tail and green eyes

Lightsky – very old ginger she-cat with blue eyes

* * *

 **Earthclan**

(live in forest)

 **Leader:**

Ravenstar – black tom with amber eyes

 **Deputy:**

Ashfoot – brown tabby tom with dark brown paws and green eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Rowanpaw

 **Medicine Cat:**

Mudpool – brown and black she-cat with amber eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** _Thistlepaw –_ brown tom with yellow eyes

 **Warriors:**

Tigerfang – dark brown tabby with unusual long fangs and amber eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Hawkpaw

Oakjaw – brown tom with a white underbelly and amber eyes

Rockfall – black tom with black paws and amber eyes

Ambermist – ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Breezepaw

Crowleaf – dark gray tom with green eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Dovepaw

Fallenecho – black she-cat with amber eyes

Fawntail – brown she-cat with white speckles and amber eyes

Raggedear – dark brown tom with battered ears and green eyes

Brackenflame – brown tabby with dark amber eyes

Flamespirit – ginger tom with green eyes

Brindleback – brown, gray, and black she-cat with green eyes

Robinbelly – black she-cat with dark ginger underbelly and green eyes

Dapplebird – brown she-cat with black splotches and a white chest

Quailfur – gray tom with black spots and amber eyes

Sootpatch – brown and black tom with amber eyes

 **Apprentices:**

Rowanpaw – dark ginger tom with green eyes

Hawkpaw – dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Breezepaw – small silver tom with blue eyes

Dovepaw – small white she-cat with brown flecks and yellow eyes

 **Queens:**

Poppytail – dark ginger she-cat with black flecks and green eyes

 _Kits_ **:** Applekit (ginger she-cat), Berrykit (dark brown tom)

Stormhowl – dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

 ***** _Kits_ **:** Bluekit (blue-ish gray tom), Duskkit (light brown tom)

 **Elders:**

Brokenleg – dark tabby tom with amber eyes and a broken leg

Willowpelt – long-haired silver she-cat with green eyes

* * *

 **Waterclan**

(live in small tree and rivers area)

 **Leader:**

Jaystar – dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes

 **Deputy:**

Silverwhisker – gray and white tom with green eyes

 **Medicine Cat:**

Mistshadow – sleek silver tom with blue eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Heatherpaw – brown and white she-cat with amber eyes

 **Warriors:**

Bluestone – gray-blue tom with blue eyes

Swiftclaw – black and white tom with amber eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Thrushpaw

Littlepetal – small brown she-cat with green eyes

Crowwing – black tom with yellow eyes

Brookleap – gray she-cat with amber eyes

Brightlight – ginger she-cat with blue eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Lilypaw

Daisybreeze – white she-cat with brown/black splotches and green eyes

Webfoot – black tom with white paws and amber eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Dewpaw

Minnowleap – spotted brown she-cat with amber eyes

Puddlefur – dark gray tom with yellow eyes

 **Apprentices:**

Thrushpaw – ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Lilypaw – white she-cat with ginger fur and darker ginger stripes along her back and tail and green eyes

Dewpaw – gray tom with white flecks and yellow eyes

 **Queens:**

Bloomheart – white she-cat with ginger splotches and green eyes

 _Kits_ **:** Mudkit (brown tom), Rainkit (gray tom), Sparrowkit (ginger and white tom)

Larksong – brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 _Kits_ **:** Briarkit (brown and white she-cat)

 **Elders:**

Darkfur – dark gray, almost black, tom with yellow eyes

* * *

 **Airclan**

(live in the mountains)

 **Leader:**

Sandstar – pale ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Deputy:**

Stoneheart – gray tom with amber eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Falconpaw

 **Medicine Cats:**

Darkwhisker – black tom with white paws and green eyes

Featherstorm – brown tabby with a white chest/paws and green eyes

 **Warriors:**

Risingmoon – gray tom with amber eyes

Feathersun – brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Fallenlight – black tom with yellow eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Whitepaw

Snowbreeze – white she-cat with blue eyes

Lightcatcher – pale ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Nightfeather – dark gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Redcrow – dark ginger tom with green eyes

Scorpiontail – dark gray tom with amber eyes

Boulderflight – massive dark gray tom with amber eyes

Thunderstrike – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 _Apprentice_ **:** Scorchedpaw

 **Apprentices:**

Scorchedpaw – dark ginger tabby tom with black stripes and amber eyes

Falconpaw – dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Whitepaw – brown tabby she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

 **Queens:**

Windwhisper – gray she-cat with dark stripes and green eyes

 **Kits:** Wingedkit (gray she-cat with white splotches), Ashkit (dark gray tom), Juniperkit (black tom), Brackenkit (dark brown tom)

 **Elders:**

Crookedwind – very old gray tom with blue eyes

Eaglethorn – dark brown tabby tom with white underbelly and yellow eyes

* * *

 **The Living Forest Pride**

 **Leaders:**

Dying Flame (Ember) - long-haired brown tabby tom with a gray chest/paws and yellow eyes

Crashing Sound (Thunder) - dark brown tom with green eyes

 **Deputies:**

Blazing Energy (Fire) - long-haired ginger tom with yellow eyes

Fading Light (Night) - large dark gray tom with yellow eyes

 **Cats:**

Fluttering Feathers (Wing) – mottled black/brown she-cat with green eyes

Racing Wings (Bird) – brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Flashing Fire (Lightning) – ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Glittering Waters (Lake) – gray tabby tom with white paws and blue eyes

Softening Voice (Whisper) – small dappled she-cat with green eyes

Flying Fog (Cloud) – white tom with gray splotched and blue eyes

Flickering Lights (Star) - black tom with white flecks and blue eyes

Rising Rocks (Mountain) - brown tom with a white tail-tip and amber eyes

Scattering Drops (Rain) - gray tom with white flecks and amber eyes

Nesting Bird (Jay) - silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Clouding Sky (Storm) - white tom with brown patches and blue eyes

Whispering Wind (Breeze) - silver she-cat with blue eyes

Crouching Mist (Fog) - sleek light gray tom with yellow eyes

Running Paws (Rabbit) - brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Dripping Red (Blood) – dark ginger tom with amber eyes

 **Apprentices:**

Soaring Shadow (Falcon) - black she-cat with amber eyes

Icing Leaves (Frost) - white tom with a gray chest/paws and blue eyes

Glittering Sun (Light) - sand-colored she-cat with amber eyes

 **Queens:**

Blooming Flower (Daisy) - brown tabby she-cat with white chest and paws and green eyes

Freezing Water (Ice) - small white she-cat with pale green eyes

Resounding Call (Echo) - dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

 _Kits_ **:** Smoldering Embers (Ash), Splintering Tree (Branch)

Rising Ice (Blizzard) – white she-cat with gray flecks and blue eyes

 _Kits_ **:** Approaching Claws (Talon), Tangling Bush (Bramble)

* * *

Prologue

The moon cast an eerie speckled shadow on the forest floor, its weak light peaking through the thick trees with little difficulty. The undergrowth was wild this close to the Dark Forest, a signal from Skyclan that it was the edge of the Earthclan territory. A small shape slipped through the undergrowth, keeping to the shadows as the creature weaved its way to the edge of clan territory. Its eyes glowed like two leaves reflecting the sunlight, green and glittering brightly. The creature stepped into the moonlight, pausing on the soft and damp grass.

The tom opened his mouth to breath in the air, his green eyes focusing on the dark trees before him. The Dark Forest was easily distinguished from the clan forest. Its trees stretched high to the sky, the lowest branches well above a cat's head. The air even this close to the border felt thick and moist, and it was difficult to see anything beyond the thickness of the undergrowth. The tom turned his head slightly as he watched the other cat slink out of the thick bushes, their pawsteps silent.

The first tom dipped his head in respect to the larger newcomer, his green eyes shining with wisdom and authority. "Ending Rocks," the tom greeted him with a calm tone. His gray pelt glowed silver in the moonlight while Ending Rocks' dark brown pelt seemed to darken.

The new tom spoke in a low rumble, his voice and yellow eyes reflecting his clear disdain for the other cat. "Graystar. What have the clans decided?"

The gray tom flicked an ear in acknowledgement, his eyes flickering with annoyance. "The clans have considered your proposal and have decided to reject your offer."

Ending Rocks took a step forward, crossing the border to tower over Graystar. "Rejection was not an option," the large tom hissed, his tail lashing. "You must join us in the Forest's Awakening or the Forest will have Its water run red with clan blood."

Graystar scoffed, standing tall and proud despite being easily outmatched by the other cat. "We will not turn our backs on Skyclan," he growled, unsheathing his claws and digging them into the ground. "We will fight you if we have to," he added in a hiss. His body relaxed slightly before he continued. "We have a proposition for you."

Ending Rocks lashed his long brown tail, his eyes narrowed with disgust and hatred for the clan cat. He remained quiet, intrigued by the spark in the gray tom's eyes at the mention of a deal. "What is it?" the large brown tom growled.

Graystar hesitated for a moment, knowing fully well what he was offering to the tom and his group. "The clans will provide you with a peace offering once every six moons." He flicked the tip of his tail as he continued, "The offering will be that of your choosing."

Ending Rocks leaned back, his eyes focusing on the tom as he thought over the proposal. An offering would suffice for the Forest to tolerate the clan cats long enough until Its Awakening. Besides, Ending Rocks' group was in constant dire need of more cats. "The clans must provide one she-cat every six moons to join the Living Forest Cats." He narrowed his eyes. "She cannot be older than four moons."

Graystar's back fur rippled at the idea of giving a kit to the enemy. "You want a kit?" he hissed.

"A kit will be accepted into the group more than a cat," the brown tom retorted hotly. "She will also be more accepting to the truth than an older cat."

"Why a she-cat?"

Ending Rocks flicked an ear dismissively. "To provide more cats for the Forest's Awakening." He glared at the clan leader and growled, "Do we have a deal?"

...

Graystar padded slowly down to the lake, his eyes clouded as he focused on the soft marsh under his paws. The gray tom looked up slowly when he neared the large body of water, making his way to a group of three cats settled in the tall marsh grass. He sat down in front of them, curling his tail around his paws before nodding in greeting.

A small black and white she-cat stood up as he sat down, her green eyes wide with concern. "Did they accept?"

"Yes," Graystar replied weakly. "They agreed to an offering of one she-cat no older than four moons every six moons."

A ginger tabby leaped to his paws, eyes flashing with rage at the idea of giving a kit to them. "Those foxdungs cannot be serious!" he yowled. "Why would we give them a kit of our own?" The other leaders murmured their agreement. None of them thought the peace offering would be a cat, let alone a kit.

Graystar shook his head roughly. "A kit will not know the difference between themselves and the group. They will be raised as their own and see us as enemies."

The black and white she-cat let out a low growl. "What did you say to this?"

Graystar looked at each of the leaders solemnly, causing each of them to go silent in shock. "You agreed?" The ginger tabby growled, his hackles raising.

"We are to protect our kits!" The black and white she-cat yowled, her fur bristling in anger. "It is in the warrior code!"

"Enough," the third cat- a dark tabby tom- rasped. "We all agreed to Graystar representing the clans. If it means the clans are safe, then we must do it."

"Emberstar! You cannot-"

"I believe that it would be best to chose a newborn kit," the dark tabby continued as if the she-cat had not interrupted him. "It will be easier to say she died than have her run away."

Graystar nodded, his eyes filled with sorrow. The other two leaders fell silent before the ginger tabby spoke quietly. "We cannot tell our clans about this. They will choose to fight the Living Forest cats before handing over kits."

"And the clans will be no more," Emberstar agreed. "May Skyclan guide us."

"May Skyclan forgive us," Graystar murmured as he watched the other leaders make the trek back to their own territories.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks to those who gave me feedback! Someone mentioned that I had two identical Whitepaws so I fixed that. Thank you for pointing that out to me. Sometimes it's hard to remember if I have that cat description already. The allegiances will be updated as the story progresses, so don't worry too much about remembering every single cat.**

 **And of course, thank you to purastella for listening to me go on and on about this story.**

 **Without further ado, here is the first chapter! I would like to point out that the prologue takes place many, many moons before this.**

* * *

 **~Chapter 1~**

A yowl of pain woke Wildflower up at the crack of sunrise. She let out an enormous yawn as she heaved herself to her paws. She murmured to the sleeping warriors around her to start waking up before heading out of the warriors den. The pretty flecked white she-cat looked around the clearing for a moment, unable to spot anything out of the ordinary. The apprentices were beginning to creep outside of their den, one of the largest shrubs in the clan's territory. It was still small, but it was larger than the horde of shrubs that lined the entrance to the camp. Beside the apprentices den was the second tallest of the boulders that made up the rest of Fireclan's camp. It was smooth and flat on the top with a hollowed inside, making it the perfect place for the leader. Wildflower perked her ears up when she saw him walk out of his den. She padded over to him, catching his attention easily.

The white and black tom greeted his deputy with a concerned tone. "What was that noise?"

The deputy settled beside him, following his gaze as it traveled around the camp for any signs of distress. "I do not know, Blackstar, but it sounded like a cat in pain-" Both cats stiffened when the yowl of pain sounded again. This time, it was much louder and was on the verge of a wail, causing the rest of the clan to stir and wake up. But the heightened volume of the yell revealed its location. Wildflower pointed with her nose to the medicine cat den. It was one of the few covered dens in the camp, made from a hollowed out rock. It was nestled between one smaller boulder and a larger boulder. The rocks formed alcoves on either side of the den, one for sick cats and the other for Drywhisker's herb supply. "Perhaps Bramblemask injured himself on his way down from the Guard Rock," Wildflower suggested, naming the warrior who stood guard over the camp during the night.

Blackstar looked up at the Guard Rock, which was the smallest yet tallest rock in the camp. It gave the clan cats an easy view to watch the movement in the tall grass that made up their territory. It was difficult to climb, requiring claws to aide in jumping onto the small ledges that made a makeshift path to the top. "It has happened before," the leader commented, his concern replaced with amusement. He turned his attention to his deputy. "I will lead the patrol along the Waterclan border." At Wildflower's nod in agreement, the tom continued. "I will take Shadowbreeze and Squirrelpaw. Shadowbreeze mentioned that the apprentice is ready for an assessment. I will decide so after the patrol."

Wildflower murmured her agreement. Squirrelpaw was the eldest of the apprentices, yet she often acted or spoke before she thought. A patrol with Blackstar could help the dark ginger she-cat calm down and start acting like a warrior. The deputy looked up as she watched the warriors emerge from the den, which was a large alcove behind the rock by the shrub entrance. The shrubs helped keep the warriors dry in the small amount of rains during newleaf and leaffall. "Tonight's Gathering will be a peaceful one, I hope," the pretty she-cat meowed.

Blackstar nodded, watching as the apprentices scurried around to feed the elders and queens as well as feed themselves afterwards. The warriors talked animatedly once Bramblemask made his way out of the medicine cat den, showing them all that there was no need for alarm. "There has been peace for many moons," the leader meowed, watching his clan with a glint of pride in his green eyes. "No clan has a reason to disrupt that."

"Earthclan might," Wildflower countered, the tip of her tail twitching. "Their new leader is a mousebrained fool who cares only for his personal goals."

Blackstar's whiskers twitched in amusement at the she-cat's words. The leader of Earthclan had been made leader by Skyclan not one moon ago when its previous leader and deputy died from greencough during the end of leafbare. Wildflower and Blackstar had never met the tom, since he was appointed deputy not moments before the previous deputy, Sorreltail, joined Skyclan. Blackstar was eager to meet the tom, while Wildflower disliked the idea. She was convinced that it had not been a proper ceremony and that it was a scheme of his to become leader. His deputy was easily suspicious of others and stubborn, which at times made it difficult for Blackstar to help her see things differently.

Wildflower shook her pelt and stood up, her eyes focusing on the group of cats that had begun to finish eating. "I'll have Harepelt and Mousetail lead the border and hunting patrols. The mentors could use some time training their apprentices." She started walking before pausing and looking back at him. "Birchkit and Hollykit are six moons," she reminded him. "Perhaps before the Gathering…"

Blackstar heaved himself to his paws, making Wildflower trail off. "Before the Gathering, we can discuss which warriors could be their mentors. They'll have their ceremonies tomorrow." He flicked her shoulder with his long black tail. "Perhaps you should go check on them. It would do you good to lighten up before the Gathering." With a swish of his tail, he led the way to the group of warriors. "Shadowbreeze," the tom greeted the senior warrior. "You and Squirrelpaw will join me on the Waterclan border patrol."

The black she-cat nodded and stood up, looking over and spotting Squirrelpaw trotting out of the elders den. "Squirrelpaw!" The dark ginger apprentice looked over in excitement. "We are going on border patrol with Blackstar." At the mention of the clan leader, the apprentice's eyes widened. She scurried over to the camp entrance bouncing in place as she waiting for them.

Shadowbreeze let out a deep sigh and padded over to her. Blackstar turned to Wildflower and meowed, "See if Drywhisker has any need for the apprentices before they train." With that, he led Shadowbreeze and Squirrelpaw out of the camp.

Wildflower resisted the urge to curl her lips at the idea of seeing Drywhisker. The clan's medicine cat was a stubborn and temperamental old tom, who rarely enjoyed visits. She shook her head and focused on the cats before her. "Harepelt," the light gray tom's ears flicked in acknowledgment, "you will lead the hunting patrol. Mousetail, take a patrol along the Earthclan border." The brown she-cat nodded before finishing off her meal.

Wildflower was ready to leave and go deal with Drywhisker when a large dark ginger tom asked coldly, "And who will join these patrols, Wildflower? They can't be a one cat patrol." The pale ginger tom beside him curled his lips in disgusted agreement.

Wildflower turned to face the two squarely, her eyes narrowed as she looked at them. "Foxclaw," she addressed the first tom with a clipped voice. "They will choose the other cats. You are warriors, not kits. I do not need to take care of every little detail." At the anger in the tom's eyes, she added, "Blackstar wants mentors to focus on training today, so you and Liontooth will not be on the sunrise patrols anyway." She turned sharply and walked to the medicine den, eager to leave the two toms behind. Since she had been appointed deputy six moons ago, the two warriors had questioned and argued against her every action.

Wildflower let out a deep sigh as she paused before the medicine cat den. Foxclaw and Liontooth had been her littermates, and all three had become apprentices around the same time. Wildflower was given her warrior name first, and she knew that the competitive Foxclaw was angry about it. It made matters worse when she was appointed deputy.

"Are you going to stand outside all day or are you going to come in and waste my time?"

Wildflower let out a low growl of annoyance before walking inside, her eyes immediately falling on the big burly dust-colored tom. His long hair was barely neat, though Wildflower did always notice that it was never fully tangled. The deputy immediately stiffened when the tom looked at her with his yellow eyes. They were unnerving, filled with contempt and disdain. Wildflower never understood how such an unpleasant cat became a medicine cat. She held her tongue from speaking her mind and meowed calmly, "Do you need any assistance? The apprentices will be training today, so they won't be around unless you say so."

The tom scoffed and turned his attention back to some poultice he was making. "I have no need for those mousebrains. They could not tell the difference between nightshade and juniper berries."

Wildflower rolled her eyes. "That was one time, and Snakepaw was a new apprentice."

"I do not need help," Drywhisker snapped.

"What you need is some chamomile." Wildflower relaxed when she heard the soothing comment from behind her. The deputy stepped to the side to let the brown tabby she-cat inside. "Did you take some this morning like I suggested?"

"I would rather be eaten by a badger," Drywhisker retorted. "I am perfectly fine."

"Leafsong," the brown tabby turned to Wildflower as the deputy addressed her, "do you need any help?"

Ignoring her old mentor's scoff, the young medicine cat shook her head softly. "We have plenty of herbs. The herbs in the twoleg nest by the Earthclan border were well protected during leafbare." The brown tabby glanced over at her mentor, who had gone back to grumbling and mixing herbs, before getting closer to Wildflower to speak urgently. "Will you check on Echowhisper for me? I checked on her before I left, but she seems to be down lately."

Wildflower's eyes glistened with worry. The queen was due any day, which only made Leafsong much more worried about her health. "I will," the deputy promised. "I have to check on Birchkit and Hollykit anyways. Their apprentice ceremony is tomorrow."

Drywhisker let out a low rumble in his throat that bordered on a disgruntled growl. "They turned six moons days ago. It's about time."

"Blackstar wants to wait until after the Gathering," Wildflower continued addressing Leafsong as if the old tom had not spoken.

Leafsong purred in amused understanding. "He has always waited until apprentices had been trained a little before letting them go to a Gathering. I am sure they will be excited to hear the news."

"Will you be accompanying Drywhisker to the Gathering?" Wildflower asked. The young medicine cat had stayed behind for the last two moons to look after sick cats. The deputy found no reason for her to stay now that leafbare was over and all the cats had recovered.

"She will," Drywhisker snapped, now facing the two she-cats. His yellow eyes were dark and unreadable.

Leafsong flicked her tail over the tom's muzzle in an attempt to calm him. "I will. I am excited to meet the new Earthclan leader." At the deputy's narrowed eyes, the medicine cat looked at her closely. "You are not then?"

Wildflower lashed her tail. "How can I be excited to meet a cat who was not appointed leader according to the warrior code?"

"Wildflower," Leafsong meowed gently, "he was granted his nine lives by Skyclan. There is no reason for you to distrust him. This Gathering will be a peaceful one; the clans finally have more prey and are no longer facing sickness. There is nothing to fear."

Drywhisker shook his head roughly, making the two she-cats shuffle in surprise. The medicine cat was known for his sharp tongue, not for his actions. "This Gathering will be different." He looked out of the cave to the sky, watching as the sun rose. "The air is shaking."

Leafsong's earlier carefree expression disappeared completely at the news. She was unlike her mentor in many ways, one of which is being good at reading signs. It was the one thing she tried her hardest at. Wildflower flicked her tail to rest on the young she-cat's shoulder in a comforting manner. No matter how good of a medicine cat he was, Drywhisker had a knack for being too serious. "There is no reason for the clans to disrupt the peace," the deputy countered calmly. "Even the new leader must know this."

Drywhisker's whiskers twitched in annoyance at the deputy's naivety. "The air does not lie and neither do I. Something will happen tonight and it will disrupt more than just the peace."

"Drywhisker, are you sure about this?" Leafsong questioned in a hushed meow. At the medicine cat's hard nod, the she-cat's shoulders drooped. "Perhaps I should stay, in case the herbs are needed..."

Drywhisker scoffed, heaving himself to his paws so he could go visit the elders. "You will come. It is important you see the signs so the medicine cats can work things out."

Wildflower had never seen the medicine cat so serious before. As his dark yellow gaze turned on her, she meowed, "I should go check on the queens." Wildflower could tell the two needed to have a private conversation. She still did not fully believe Drywhisker; it was difficult too after the last time he had been so serious.

"Perhaps we will need help," Leafsong looked up at Wildflower. "Can you have one of the apprentices check on the elders? Unless Drywhisker wants to..." she looks over at her mentor with an amused gleam in her eyes.

The older tom scoffed. "I'd rather be eaten by a badger."

Wildflower shook her head before backing out of the den, scanning the camp with a keen eye. She didn't believe that Drywhisker was entirely wrong; the new leader could try something. _Regardless of what it is_ , the she-cat thought to herself, _we can handle it._ Wildflower shivered as the breeze picked up, chilling her to her bones. Perhaps she should heed the medicine cat's warning more seriously and tell Blackstar when he came back.

The sudden sound of a loud howl of pain caused Wildflower to race across the camp to the nursery, her pelt prickling in fear. _Please Skyclan, let everything be alright. We've had so many moons of peace. Why should that be taken away?_

 **~End Chapter 1~**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! First, I am _so sorry_ for not updating last month. Life has been crazy and not all that great so I could not finish the next chapter to save the life of me. Second, this is totally 100% not entirely proofread so I apologize if there are mistakes. I just wanted to update it at this point. XD ****  
**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **~Chapter 2~**

The yowl sounded again, but this time Wildflower heard the words that followed it. "That _hurts_ , Rainkit!"

Wildflower slowed to a halt at the entrance of the nursery, her neck fur falling back on her shoulders. It was definitely Echowhisper; the queen had grown a sharper tongue as she neared the birth of her kits. Wildflower shook her pelt, glancing back and swishing her tail to show the rest of the clan that there was nothing to worry about. Wildflower narrowed her eyes as she watched Foxclaw and Liontooth head to the apprentices to collect their own. Remembering Leafsong's request, Wildflower padded over to them. _I can check on Echowhisper and the rest afterwards. Besides,_ the deputy watched Foxclaw with a keen eye. _I can assess how Foxclaw is as a mentor._ The idea gave the she-cat satisfaction after their earlier bout.

As the she-cat neared the two warriors, she noticed something that always caused her to falter: Foxclaw was _purring_. Wildflower watched him closely before focusing on his apprentice, who was Whitepaw. She was a pretty white she-cat with soft dark gray splotches. Wildflower had noticed extensively how much softer her littermate looked when he was around his apprentice. As much as she enjoyed the idea of Foxclaw no longer acting like a piece of mousedung, Wildflower was not pleased with the thought of Foxclaw developing some sort of crush on his own apprentice. He was supposed to mentor Whitepaw, not cuddle her.

"Are we going to train our fighting techniques today?" Wildflower was close enough to hear one of the apprentices, Goldenpaw, question Foxclaw and Liontooth. The mottled tom was looking up at Liontooth with excitement in his wide amber eyes.

"We did that yesterday," argued an apprentice named Snakepaw. The brown and ginger tom was laying next to the others in front of their den. Wildflower was not surprised by the older apprentice's demeanor; Snakepaw's mentor was nowhere in sight and the tom was notorious for only showing respect to her.

"We had to stop early because you unsheathed your claws and got my shoulder!" Goldenpaw snapped, bristling.

Whitepaw flicked her tail in agreement before adding, "We can do the same training as we did yesterday regardless."

Before Snakepaw could reply, Liontooth sat down, curling his tail around his paws. The warrior spoke with a hint of amused annoyance as he addressed the apprentices. "We will be practicing our hunting skills before trying them on a real hunt. You, Snakepaw," the golden warrior narrowed his eyes at the apprentice, "will not be joining us."

Ignoring Snakepaw's low growl, Whitepaw looked up at Foxclaw with wide green eyes filled with alarm. "A real hunt?" Wildflower could understand the apprentice's fear; she and Goldenpaw had only been an apprentice for a little over a moon.

Foxclaw bent down to lick the top of his apprentice's head. "You will do fine." Wildflower narrowed her eyes at his warm voice. But Whitepaw relaxed at his words, so the deputy saw no reason than her own selfish one to see why he would show such warmth to a young cat. Foxclaw never showed any interest or warmth to younger cats when he was a new warrior.

Wildflower shook her head roughly to scatter her thoughts before approaching them. Whitepaw immediately perked up at the sight of her and raced over to her. "Wildflower!" The young she-cat greeted the deputy warmly. Ignoring the burning stare from Foxclaw, Wildflower bent her head and touched Whitepaw's cheek in greeting. "Have you come to watch us train?" Whitepaw asked after a moment, her green eyes glittering with excitement at the idea.

"Not today," Wildflower promised, instantly feeling better. Whitepaw had that effect on every cat it seemed. _Perhaps Foxclaw is not an exception._

"Then why are you here?" Foxclaw meowed coldly.

 _Clearly, he is._ Wildflower shook her head as she thought before answering calmly. "Leafsong requests help with the elders from one of the apprentices. And since Snakepaw is not doing anything while Frostpoppy visits with Snowleaf," she added at the sight of Liontooth's opened jaw, "he can attend to them while you train." She looks at Snakepaw with narrowed eyes. "Yes?"

Snakepaw curled his lips back in the beginnings of a snarl, but it faded after a moment. He let out a scoff instead as he stood up. "Fine. Bring me back something good Whitepaw," the brown and ginger tom flicked his tail over the she-cat's ear before padding to the elder's den.

Ignoring the stare Foxclaw gave Snakepaw as he passed, Wildflower swished her tail. "Have a good hunt." She didn't wait for a reply and went back to the nursery. She squeezed through the small hole that served as the entrance and immediately collided with another cat. The deputy recognized the she-cat immediately and her ice blue eyes. "Frostpoppy," the deputy greeted the warrior with an apology in her tone. "Snakepaw is with the elders if you wish to find him."

The black she-cat curled her lips, her blue eyes flashing. The warrior shook herself before replying coolly, "He can stay there. After yesterday's training, he can watch the elders and queens while I go on patrol with Harepelt."

Wildflower flicked her ear in acknowledgment, watching the black warrior go back into the camp clearing. She turned back around and padded over to the nearest queen, greeting her affectionately. "Snowleaf," the deputy meowed warmly.

The white and brown queen purred in response to seeing the deputy. "Are you here to check on Echowhisper?" At the deputy's nod, the queen meowed, "She's doing just fine. Tell Leafsong to stop worrying so much. I know the signs."

Wildflower let out a quick breath of agreement. Snowleaf was the oldest of the queens and had kitted five litters already. The deputy had no doubt in her mind that the queen could handle Echowhisper and know when she will be due.

"Stop talking about me like I am not here."

Wildflower's purr intensified as she padded further into the den, spotting Echowhisper in the back of the den just before the back clearing. The nursery was made up of three rocks: two on either side and one on top. There was a small clearing in the back for the queens to go if they need some peace and sun. Thick shrubbery and brambles closed the clearing off from the rest of the clan's territory. It was the only part of Fireclan's camp that had a barrier.

"You should be on patrol," Echowhisper continued sharply, her dark blue eyes glowing with irritation. "I have no need for a guard. Tell Leafsong and Twisterhowl to back off."

"You know as well as I that Twisterhowl would rather eat mouse bile than stop worrying about you," Wildflower countered warmly, not affected by her friend's tongue. She was closest to the queen and her mate in all the clan, and it showed whenever Echowhisper tried to bite someone's head off until the deputy or Twisterhowl stepped in.

"Your brother is overprotective," the black she-cat rasped in response.

"Twisterhowl is rightfully worried over his mate and their first litter," a firm voice carried from behind Echowhisper's nest. A brown and white she-cat padded inside with three kits on her heels. The she-cat's ginger flecks scattered among her fur glistened in the sun before she finally stepped into the den's shade. "Your temper is worse than before, and I have not a clue how that could be."

"Because one of your kits yanked my tail," Echowhisper snapped. Wildflower knew immediately that her friend did not see the kits. When they came around in front of their mother with big round eyes, the black queen's eyes immediately softened with sorrow and worry. "You did not hurt me, Rainkit. It was just… unpleasant."

The gray kit nodded rapidly, his eyes wide with worry. "I'm sorry for yanking on your tail."

"It's alright little one." Echowhisper soothed the kit instantly with her words. Wildflower watched in amusement and pride as the three kits tumbled back out into the clearing, yowling about playing a battle game. "I'm sorry, Speckledwing," Echowhisper meowed softly to the brown and white she-cat.

Speckledwing purred in amusement and licked the new queen's head. "There is no need to apologize." The queen glanced at Snowleaf and purred, "We know how new queens get when they're close to kitting."

Echowhisper shook her head roughly, interrupting the two queens' purrs. The small black she-cat shifted slightly in her nest, but it was enough for Wildflower to take in how big she had gotten. Echowhisper was the second smallest cat in the clan, barely beating Whitepaw for being the smallest. She looked ginormous with her round belly now, but she was still not nearly as big as Wildflower or Speckledwing. "Sometimes I think I shouldn't have kits," the black queen murmured.

Snowleaf immediately recoiled in surprise, her green eyes widening in disbelief. Speckledwing copied Snowleaf's reaction, making Wildflower assume this was something new. The deputy looked down at her friend and meowed, "And why would you say that?"

Echowhisper let out a deep sigh. "I'm terrible with kits, and I'm far too irritable as it is. How can I be a decent mother?"

Snowleaf scoffed, her neck fur bristling. "You are excellent with kits and we have told you repeatedly how natural your temper is."

"But-"

"Even more so," Speckledwing added before Echowhisper could get another word in, "You are perhaps better with kits than I am. I can barely manage Rainkit, and yet you have calmed him down. Like just a moment ago."

"Perhaps."

Wildflower could still see the doubt in her friend's eyes, so she changed the subject before the other queens could jump on top of her. "The Gathering is tonight. Are you coming, Snowleaf?" The queen's kits, Birchkit and Hollykit were due for their apprentice ceremonies, so the deputy found no reason why the queen couldn't come.

The look in the older she-cat's eyes told Wildflower that the conversation was not over yet, but she did not argue. Wildflower was sure Echowhisper's feelings would change the moment her kits were born. "No," Snowleaf replied hastily. "I see no reason to go to the Gathering when there has been peace for moons. What could change?"

"Earthclan does have a new leader," Wildflower pointed out. "He could disrupt the peace."

"You already think he has," Echowhisper meowed, rolling her eyes.

"How so?" The two other queens looked at the deputy with interest.

"He was not appointed according to the warrior code," the deputy resisted the urge to growl the words. "A leader and a deputy dying in less than a moon? It's suspicious."

"It was a rough leafbare," Speckledwing meowed gently.

Wildflower scoffed. "Earthclan has better protected territory than we do during leafbare. And there was no indication at the last Gathering of any shortage of prey or sickness in any of the clans."

"You know as well as we do that a leader won't share such news to outsiders," Snowleaf settled beside the other queens, her eyes focusing on Wildflower.

"You can tell when a cat is sick and none of them were."

"Is there more of a reason why you do not like the new leader?" Speckledwing asked calmly. None of the other she-cats seemed bothered by Wildflower or her thoughts.

The deputy sighed. "He appointed Ashfoot as his deputy."

The three queens stiffened immediately, their eyes narrowing into slits. Ashfoot had always been a problematic cat and no one in Fireclan liked him ever since he let Frostpoppy's kit die.

After a moment, Snowleaf shook her head. "He must have a decent reason for it."

"How could anyone see that piece of mousedung worthy enough to be a deputy?" Speckledwing growled. "He clearly is a fleabrain."

"Surely Blackstar…" Snowleaf let out a soft sigh at the shake of Wildflower's head. "He knows?"

"We were told yesterday after the border patrol came back. He seemed angry at first, but today he no longer has a problem with the new leader."

"Do we even know his name?" Echowhisper asked.

"Ravenstar," the deputy couldn't help but curl her lips in disgust as she said the name.

"He was blessed by Skyclan then," Speckledwing sounded satisfied. "They would not allow him to be leader if there was anything to worry about."

"Pinestar was blessed by Skyclan and you know how that played out," Wildflower meowed sharply. Pinestar was the leader before Earthclan's former leader. She was a brutal clan leader and tried to take over more territory until she was killed by her deputy, who brought peace to the clans when he became leader.

"They have their reasons," Speckledwing replied gently before heading back outside to be with her kits.

Snowleaf shook her head as her gaze followed the other queen's form out before focusing back on Wildflower. "The leader must be bloodthirsty if he appointed that cat as his deputy."

"Or at least ambitious," countered Echowhisper. "Ashfoot is hardly a fleabrained cat, despite his savage ways. He always had a way with rallying cats up at Gatherings." At her clanmates stares, the black she-cat added defensively, "He was one of the main cats who aided Smokestar in getting rid of Pinestar and her followers."

"He's bloodthirsty and ambitious if he has that piece of foxdung as his deputy," Wildflower growled, lashing her tail. Snowleaf and Echowhisper exchanged glances, making the deputy let out a puff of annoyed breath. "What?"

"You always were a little headstrong," Echowhisper meowed, her blue eyes glittering with amusement.

"And stubborn," agreed Snowleaf in a soft purr. "No cat can change your mind once it's made up."

The deputy flicked the tip of her tail. "Is that so bad?"

"In some cases-" started Echowhisper.

"Like this one," interjected Snowleaf.

"-it is," Echowhisper finished triumphantly before her eyes suddenly filled with exhaustion.

Wildflower let out a soft hiss of disagreement but didn't argue. "Blackstar should be back soon. I want to lead the next hunting patrol near the Earthclan border." She stood up and licked Echowhisper's head in farewell before slipping back into the camp's clearing.

"Wildflower!" The she-cat paused and looked back to see Snowleaf squeezing her way through the nursery entrance. She waited until the queen was beside her, letting the white she-cat continue. The queen looked earnestly at the deputy. "Do you think you're looking into this too much?"

Wildflower dipped her head to the side slightly, her blue eyes clouding with puzzlement. "No. Why?" The new leader was bad news, and the deputy only believed more since Drywhisker's comments earlier.

Snowleaf's gaze softened as she meowed gently, "Mothlight and-"

Wildflower's neck fur bristled, her eyes narrowing into slits. "They have nothing to do with this," she hissed.

Snowleaf didn't back down. "I don't think you should blame his entire clan for what Mothlight did."

Wildflower's hackles were starting to raise when she heard a sharp voice call her name. She turned to see Blackstar; the leader was waiting by his den for her. The she-cat turned back to Snowleaf, only to see that she had slipped back into the nursery. With a low grumble, the deputy turned around and headed over to the clan leader.

"How was the patrol?" Wildflower asked her clan leader with a serious expression, not bothering to sit down.

The black and white tom licked one of his front paws before brushing it over his ears. "Squirrelpaw was a good listener, but it was uneventful otherwise." At his deputy's amused purr, Blackstar flicked an ear. "I have thought about what you said regarding the Gathering. Squirrelpaw will have her warrior ceremony before we leave."

Wildflower relaxed slightly, nodding her agreement. "She'll make an excellent warrior."

"Yes," Blackstar flicked an ear. "Why don't you lead a hunting patrol before the ceremony? Now that newleaf is here, we should stock up the fresh-kill pile."

Wildflower perked up at the suggestion. "I was thinking the same thing," she meowed eagerly. _More or less anyway_ , she thought to herself.

"Good. Take Twisterhowl with you. He should focus on something else for a change." The clan leader licked a paw before grooming his ears. "How is Echowhisper?"

"Just fine," Wildflower replied calmly. _There is no point to share her worries with Blackstar. She'll have my tail if I say anything_. "I'll take Cloudstep with us," she meowed, steering the conversation away from the queen.

Blackstar's ears twitched as his eyes flickered. The she-cat knew it was impossible to fool the tom, but she had become better at dealing with his persistence. "Very well. Do try not to get into any fights on the patrol. It is a full moon tonight and I will not tolerate disturbing the peace."

Wildflower let out a short sigh. _He knew where I wanted to hunt then_. The she-cat shook her pelt and flicked her tail-tip. "Yes, Blackstar." She turned to gather the rest of her patrols, her eyes lit with pale fire. _We won't start anything… but we'll finish it_ , the she-cat vowed to herself.

 **~End Chapter 2~**


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